Nov 4, 2009 8:53 pm US/Central
New High-Tech Mouthguard Has Jaw-Dropping Results
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
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More and more athletes are turning to mouthguards for flexibility, balance, endurance and injury prevention.
CBS
It might sound a bit strange. A mouthguard can help with injuries, make you stronger, more flexible and have better balance? CBS 2's Megan Mawicke reports that a local dentist is protecting more than pearly whites.
Several Bears, along with professional athletes in all sports, are wearing the new high-tech Pure Power Mouthguard because they've seen jaw-dropping results.
"I've got reports from a couple of them that say they can lift about 100 pounds more," said Chicago dentist Dr. John Kelly. "The migraines some of them had aren't there anymore. They feel much more secure when they are getting hit. They feel more stable as their bouncing off one player to another."
Bears Safety Danieal Manning agrees. He says he's seen huge results.
"Just how flexible I am," said Manning. "It's helped with injuries and with my hamstring."
"The biggest thing is it helps me with is endurance, and I seem to be more flexible and stronger in the weight room," said Bears Linebacker Jamar Williams. "Overall I think it makes me a better player."
Dr. John Kelly is the only neuromuscular dentist in Chicago that works with the mouthguard. He has custom fit several Bears and the entire New Orleans Saints team. He says a relaxed jaw allows the rest of an athlete's body to reach its highest potential.
"If you can relax the muscles of your head, neck and jaw, and it balances your head on your spine, then everything can transfer all the way down to your core and your muscles and the rest of your body are free to work together," said Dr. Kelly. "Once we get that one physiological rest spot, it's optimized for the athlete. It's registered and we transfer that over into the mouthguard."
A double-blind study by Rutgers University conducted recently is the first to support the science that the mouthguard really does work, but there are skeptics.
"I was kind of skeptical at first," said Williams. "When guys hear about it, you're like, 'It's a mouthguard. It can't do that.' But once I did the test, I said 'I've got to get it.' Guys do see a difference in play. I think it's going to be really big."
If you want the high-end professional version, it can be costly at $2,000, but there are two less expensive versions with the cheapest at $550.
The mouthguard has even helped plumbers and construction workers with injuries so they can go back to work sooner.
For more information on the Pure Power Mouthguard,
click here.
For a link to Dr. John Kelly's dentistry site,
click here.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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